Abdallah Ulega, the Deputy Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, said the reforms undertaken in the leather industry saw exports of raw hides and skins rising from 513,201 kilograms in 2015/2016 to 7,370,533 kilograms in 2020/2021. He said most of the raw hides and skins are exported to different countries including Nigeria and Ghana. Ulega told the House in the capital Dodoma that the reforms included encouraging value addition and attracting local and foreign investors in the leather industry.
He said the government has imposed 80 percent export levy on raw hides and skins to encourage value addition by local industries. Member states of the East African Community (EAC) agreed to impose export levies on raw hides and skins to protect local firms and enhance productivity in the leather industry, said Ulega.